Powerwall 2 comes with a storage capability of 13.5KWh of electricity [ 5 ] – enough to power the average U. K home for approximately 3 days. [ 6 ]
Powerwall batteries were introduced temporarily by Tesla in Puerto Rico during the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. [ 7 ] Later it was claimed by Elon Musk, the CEO, that the company could supply permanent batteries with renewable resources to store and supply the whole island with reliable power, both during storms and during normal operation. [ 8 ] Musk exemplifies companies’ readiness to implement such technology on ever-larger scales.
However, the failure of major cross-country power lines poses the greatest threat to power supplies over large areas and, consequentially, larger scale batteries are being developed to supply power regionally. In September 2016, South Australia was hit by one of the worst storms in decades, leading to over 1.7 million residents over large areas of Adelaide without power. Contracted by the government, Telsa had the 126 MWh battery operational by December 2017, within 100 days. [ 9 ] The battery – the world’ s largest – is supplied energy by Hornsdale Wind Farm and used both during normal grid operations and during power outages at major power stations. Less than a month after installation, the batteries were put to the test twice when power stations in neighbouring states had a sudden drop in output. The system took only seconds to kick in and supply energy to homes, a record for local grid responses. [ 10 ] As of publication, the battery has responded to dozens of incidents, each in a matter of seconds, ensuring a huge increase in reliability of power across South Australia. The real test will come if a large-scale natural disaster hits the area. It is evident that future projects will emulate Tesla’ s success, combatting power outages around the globe.
Alongside battery technology, micro-grids are increasingly being combined with renewables to increase grid reliability worldwide. Micro-grids are smaller electrical grids with their own unique power supply and demand, that can act separately or in conjunction with the main grid. Micro-grids insulate themselves from the main grid in the event of failure and can vary in size from a house to a whole city or state.
In 2012, India experienced one of the worst blackouts in history with 670 million people going without power due to poor infrastructure. [ 11 ] To combat this, the government is considering combining micro-grids with increased usage of renewables and battery technology to localise power. This initiative attempts to reduce reliance on a countrywide power grid system, a system which is susceptible to failure, due to its sheer size and the increasing demand for energy in the country.
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